マイルス・デイヴィスとのコラボレートで創り上げてきたものとは全く違う、ギルの叫びが全編に響くエレクトリック・ビッグ・バンド・ジャズ73年の名作。ハンニバル、ビリー・ハーパーら個性派を放し飼いにしつつアンサンブルとして聴かせる驚異の手腕は唯一無二。
タワーレコード(2009/04/08)
JazzTimes - "...SVENGALI has a good deal of music on the leading edge....Unlike the evil manipulator of fiction, Evans was a benevolent genius who did not need hypnosis to induce his subjects to make beautiful music....some of the most unusual writing of his last two decades."
Rovi
This is one of Gil Evans's finest recordings of the 1970s. He expertly blended together acoustic and electronic instruments, particularly on an exciting rendition of "Blues in Orbit" (which includes among its soloists a young altoist named David Sanborn). All six selections have their memorable moments (even a one-and-a-half minute version of "Eleven"); colorful solos are contributed by guitarist Ted Dunbar, Howard Johnson on tuba and flugelhorn, the passionate tenor of Billy Harper, and bassist Herb Bushler, among others; and Evans's arrangements are quite inventive and innovative. Rarely would he be so successful in balancing written and improvised sections in his later years. ~ Scott Yanow|
Rovi